Christmas with the Cullens
by ReddTwilight
Summary: Bella spends her first Christmas with Edward and his family.


**A/N: Note, as of April, 2013 this story has been re-read, edited, and otherwise tweaked. Please enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. **

**BPOV**

I awoke with a start, shivering slightly, my eyes popping open and a gasp escaping my mouth. I was lying on a hard, cool surface. I was not in my bed. Where was I? Then an overwhelming perfume assaulted my senses and I immediately remembered.

"You ok?" Edward's velvet voice brought me back and I stared up into his golden eyes from where my head lay cradled on his chest. I was in his bed cuddled to his side, one arm wrapped protectively around me.

"Yeah, I'm ok. I just forgot where I was for a moment."

"That happens a lot when you spend the night here."

"Maybe it has something to do with sleeping beside you. You're a hazard, what can I say?" I teased. My tone was light and flirty. I shrugged and snuggled closer to him not caring about the coldness of his skin.

"More than you want to realize." Edward chuckled. I returned his smile though his was always more dazzling and always would be. I could never live up to his beauty. I shifted my weight against his side my hand pressing down on his abdomen as I moved my head under his chin. Edward sighed and kissed my hair lingering to inhale the scent that would always drive him mad.

"What time is it?" I mumbled sleepily from my far too comfortable position.

"8 AM on Christmas morning." Edward replied, his voice barely above a whisper. I could tell he wanted to keep the present atmosphere calm and peaceful. Wait. Had he just said Christmas morning? Already? But we had just gone to sleep – well, I had just gone to sleep – not one second ago, or at least it felt like one second ago. I always slept so soundly in his arms.

He really was a hazard.

"Do we have to get up?" I murmured into his shirt. I really didn't want to. I wanted to stay right where I was, forever.

"No, not yet. Everyone else is downstairs, though. But they're not expecting us for a bit."

I smirked into Edward's chest knowing he was probably reading the thoughts of everyone downstairs and gauging how they felt about our absence.

"Good." I sighed contently and snuggled even closer. I shivered, but only because Edward was actually under the blanket with me instead of on top like he usually was. He shifted beneath me, moving more towards the center of his huge bed pulling me with him. He sat himself up more against the pillows resting his head on the headboard. He let his arm fall from around me.

"Put your head here." He nodded toward the center of his chest.

"You sure?" I asked. He'd been sleeping beside me every night for months now, but he still didn't like to get too close, afraid that my proximity would be too tempting for him.

Edward nodded, he was sure. I laid my head over his heart knowing there would be no accompanying beat. He breathed softly his chest barely rising and falling. I wrapped one arm around his back and placed my other hand on his abdomen. I was half lying on top of him. I wondered, maybe, if he would let me… No, definitely not. But this morning was such a good morning to try. I shifted against him rising up to move closer. My hand slipped a little and reached to support myself grasping his thigh. Edward sucked in a sharp breath and flinched.

"I'm sorry." I apologized quickly, returning to a safer position. Edward stopped me pulling my head back to his chest and fixing my arm so it was still around his back.

"No, it's ok. I just wasn't expecting that. It's ok, Bella." He breathed deeply, fighting back an urge no doubt. He wasn't used to being touched.

"Edward," I breathed against the cool skin of his chest exposed by his sweater. He could tell there was a question in my voice.

"Yes?"

I started to shift again, moving slowly. I placed my hand on the top of his thigh to support myself as I moved on top of him. He stared down at me. "Bella, what are you doing?" There was fear in his voice, "Wait."

"I just want to…" I started, but not finishing as I shifted my weight so that I lay on top of him completely, cradled in his lap. Both my arms locked around him and I pressed my cheek to his cool, hard chest.

"Bella?" He still sounded scared, but I stopped then. My head was turned to the side facing away from him. I felt his breath stir my hair, the sweet scent of it washing over me.

"Is this ok?" I asked cautiously. I placed my hand back on his abdomen, but I was really questioning my position.

"Yeah," Edward breathed. He sounded calmer. I glanced up at him. His eyes were shut as if he were concentrating on something. He looked like he was forming a question in his mind but just didn't know how to word it. I shut my eyes prepared to go back to sleep when he asked, or, rather requested.

"Kiss me," He whispered gently.

My eyes shot up at his. He was staring down at me, his topaz eyes burning. But not with anger or passion, they were just burning.

"What?" I asked, surprise clear in my voice. Was he really asking me to get even closer to him? Edward shifted so he was sitting up even more and pulled me with him.

"Kiss me." He whispered again. I bit my lip in thought. Was he testing himself…or me?

Slowly I rose up his body till my face was close enough to his. One arm came out from under him to support myself, the other remaining wrapped around his back. I leaned down to close the space between our mouths, his lips cool and smooth beneath mine. His arms immediately wrapped around me in a vice so I couldn't move. His kiss was rough, his arms tightening around me pressing me closer. It was starting to hurt. He'd never kissed me like this before. This was all passion and fire. He wasn't being gentle at all.

"Edward…" I managed to choke out. "You're hurting me." I could feel sharp pressure on the middle of my spine, like it was bending. When I said those words Edward released me immediately, terror clearly written on his perfect face.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to… I just…"

"Shhh." I winced pressing a finger to his cold lips to silence him. "It's ok."

"Bella," he lifted my face to his. "It's not ok."

"Stop." I put a hand to his chest. "I'm all right, Edward."

"Why do you always have to be so forgiving?" His tone was slightly harsh but not hurtful. "I really am more of a hazard to you than you realize. I'm not safe."

I pushed myself up his body so my face was over his, so I was very nearly sitting in his lap. I took his face in my hands and stared down into his rich, golden eyes. "I say you are. I trust you." I ran a hand through his satiny bronze hair ruffling it away from his face. "I want to try that again." I whispered.

"I almost crushed your spine. Just from kissing you. And you want to try it again?" I could tell from his tone that he couldn't believe what I was saying.

"Yes." My answer was solid and sincere. "You just need to practice learning control."

"Bella, I may never be able to learn control around you. It's torture to me that you're so close. I'm always fighting with myself to keep you at bay, but I can never seem to bring myself to do it."

"Because you want me near. You want me close. And if you didn't trust yourself you would be trying much harder to push me away."

Edward sighed as he considered my words reaching out to fiddle with a lock of hair that had escaped my ponytail. He seemed to be giving in, so I leaned down and placed a soft kiss at the hollow of his throat.

"Slowly, Bella." He cautioned. I smiled against his skin and mouthed a 'thank you'. Edward shifted down so his head was cushioned on a pillow but he was still sitting up. I began to kiss up his neck going slowly. I trailed my lips across his cold skin, along his jaw, across his chin…Until I finally got to his mouth. I let him return my kiss before I continued, braiding my fingers into his hair. He was careful to be gentle this time but held none of his passion back. I could feel it in the pressure of his mouth on mine. He shifted beneath me, his hands finding my waist. I gasped at his touch, the sensation of it driving me wild.

Suddenly he flipped us, too fast for me to actually feel it, and without disturbing the blankets around us. He pinned me on my back pressing his mouth harder to mine than he had before. In between, our breathing grew ragged. My hands wound tighter in his hair keeping him as close as possible. He grasped one side of my rib cage applying just enough pressure but not squeezing too hard. I moved my hands to hold his face, but he grabbed my wrists and pinned them over my head with his free hand. His body grew suddenly colder and I shook beneath him at the temperature change.

Edward broke away chuckling. It gave me a moment to catch my breath.

"What's so funny?" I asked. Edward released my hands, one falling beside me while the other remained thrown across the pillow beside my head.

"Alice, downstairs. Rosalie wanted to know when we would be down. Alice said eventually, but she wasn't quite sure how long. She just knows we'll be down… Eventually. Rose is getting impatient."

"To open gifts or for us to come down?"

"For us to come down."

I laughed quietly and Edward chuckled as well. He leaned down to place a kiss on my throat and smiled against my skin, sighing. He chuckled again.

"What now?" I asked, unable to suppress a quiet laugh.

"Alice made a comment about waiting for the whole family and now Rose wants to break something."

"She still doesn't like me does she?"

"Give her some time. She'll get used to you." Edward tucked some hair behind my ear. "Now where was I?" He pressed his lips to my neck once more only this time his kisses were much more passionate, almost deliberately seductive. That's when I heard a throat being cleared, but it wasn't harsh, it was musical. "We'll be down in a moment, Esme." Edward answered smiling, barely lifting his lips from my neck.

I blushed scarlet and pulled my exposed hand beneath the blanket. Thank God she couldn't see me. However I was sure from where she stood in the doorway and the positions our bodies were in made it look as if Edward was drinking from my neck. It was more embarrassing for me though for her to catch us making out, with Edward lying on top of me no less.

"Make it quick, Rose is fuming." Esme said, her voice like a song. I didn't hear her shut the door although I assumed she did.

"You knew she was coming didn't you?" I accused Edward. "You knew she was standing there."

Edward flashed his dazzling smile. How could I be mad at him? "Of course I did. Why do you think I made a show of kissing your neck so soundly?"

"You're a real jerk sometimes, you know that?" I teased, and smacked his shoulder playfully. "Ow." That's right, his skin was like marble.

"Forgot for a second?" He chuckled.

"Yeah, I forget everything when you kiss me. I get this knot in the bottom of my stomach and a wave of heat passes through me."

"Feels good doesn't it?"

"Too good." I raised my hips to his, but he pushed me down with a smile, shaking his head.

"I think we've had enough excitement this morning, Bella, let's not push it." I sighed in defeat and let my head fall back against the pillow. "I suggest we head downstairs before Rosalie really does break something."

Edward left the room for a moment while I changed into the clothes I had brought with me. At first Charlie wasn't too pleased with me spending Christmas with Edward's family. It was a family holiday, yes, and he would rather I spent it with him. But Christmas with Charlie wasn't that exciting.

Last year I had woken up at 9 AM, he wasn't up yet so I went downstairs and made him pancakes and waited to give him his gift. When he came down I placed the small box in front of him. It was a new watch. He hadn't known what to get me so he had settled for a zip up sweater with a hood that said Forks, Washington across the back. I still have it, and I still wear it from time to time. When I have no other sweatshirt to wear… When I reminded him of last year Charlie agreed that it had been a little lame, and conceded to let me spend Christmas with Edward and his family. He assumed I would be sleeping on a couch downstairs. He didn't need to know where I was really planning to spend the night.

I gave him his gift on Christmas Eve before Edward came to pick me up. This year I made a small photo album of pictures that had been taken over the course of my time so far here in Forks. There were some pictures of him and I, and some pictures of my friends…And some pictures of me and Edward. There was one particular picture of Edward and I that I saw him look over more carefully than the others.

We had been sitting on the front steps of his house laughing and looking up at each other, his arms wrapped around me and my hands holding them there. Alice had come out of nowhere and snapped the picture. It was perfect timing. We were just staring up into each other's eyes with complete adoration. Charlie commented that he was glad I had found someone who could bring me such joy and happiness. I gave him a fierce hug and kissed his cheek. I was glad he finally accepted Edward, despite the slight bias he felt toward him just because he was so… different, to say the least.

I met Edward out in the hallway and we walked down the stairs hand in hand, but once we reached the landing at the bottom Edward slipped his arm around my waist, his palm resting on my hip. It didn't go unnoticed and of course Emmett had to comment.

"Have fun?"

I knew he was teasing and I threw a smirk in his direction. Edward threw him a murderous glare. "Certainly took you long enough. What were you doing up there?"

"Talking." Edward answered the moment Emmett finished.

"Oh, so that's what they're calling it now." Emmett laughed out loud, the sound reverberating through the house. I felt Edward stiffen at my side and reached my arm out in front of him to keep him from lunging at his brother – although I knew even if he did my arm would do nothing to stop him.

"Later." Edward snarled, a growl forming deep in his chest. Emmett just continued to smirk broadly and threw his arm across Rosalie's shoulders. Edward steered me into the large front room sitting down on the couch and pulled me protectively into his lap. He placed one light kiss on my lips and then leaned his head back against the headrest.

I took a moment to glance around the room. There had been nothing up last night when I arrived. Alice had been busy. Green and white garlands hung on the walls in fashionable display. Red bows were placed strategically on tables and across the fireplace mantle. Little Christmas knickknacks stood on the end tables where Esme's flowers usually were. They all smiled cheerily at me and just gushed 'Happy Holidays'. The centerpiece, however, was the huge fir tree that dominated the room. It was a deep forest green color and was perfectly decorated with silver and gold lights, balls, and ribbons. Alice just couldn't grasp the concept of 'low-key'.

She bounded out of the kitchen as graceful as always and plopped down next to Edward on the couch throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. She was without a doubt my best girlfriend.

"Merry Christmas, Bella!" She squealed in her chime-like voice.

"Merry Christmas, Alice." I responded less enthusiastically, but returned her hug.

"What do you think?" she asked gesturing around at the decorations.

"It's… really great, Alice. You really know how to decorate."

"Do you want some breakfast? Esme made sugar plum for you."

"Maybe in a little while." So that's what that sweet smell had been drifting upstairs.

"I know what you want." Edward said behind me. I turned to look at him, my expression confused. "Hot chocolate."

I had to admit, that did sound good. "Sure, I'll get it." I said, and started to rise from Edward's lap.

"No, you stay with Alice and everyone and start unwrapping. I'll get the drink." Edward lifted me from his lap touching his lips to my forehead before he disappeared into the kitchen.

Alice jumped up from the couch beside me moving across the room like a dancer to pick up several perfectly wrapped packages from beneath the tree and started passing them around. She handed me one last.

"I want you to open this one first. It's from me."

"Is it clothes?" I asked.

"Just open it and find out." Alice reiterated as she unwrapped the small box in her hands. Inside was a pair of silver earrings in the shape of crescent moons. I knew at once they were the ones that Edward had helped me pick out for her. "Thank you, Bella, I love them." She hugged me and then proceeded to put the earrings in.

"They look good." I commented. Alice beamed and glanced down at the still unwrapped box in my hands. It was oddly heavy. Definitely not clothes. I had no idea what it could be. I tore the paper from the top of the box and lifted the lid off. Inside was a large, heavy photo album with the Cullen's family crest engraved on the front cover.

I lifted it out with a little difficulty, it was rather bulky, and flipped it open. As I turned through the pages I found many pictures of Edward's family and several familiar pictures of Edward and me, including the one with his arms around me that I had placed in the album I had given Charlie. I turned the final page and the last picture nearly made my heart stop.

I had no memory of this picture. It was a black and white photograph of Edward and I lying on the chaise that was in the front room. He had his eyes closed as if he were sleeping, but I knew he really wasn't. I was laying next to him my arm across his chest and his around my back holding me against him as I actually slept. Sunlight had been pouring in the windows behind us, but not on us. Now I remembered. We had spent the day in the woods. The whole day. I had been exhausted at the end of it, Edward not so much, and he had suggested that I take a nap. That's how we had ended up on the chaise. Alice must have taken the picture when we both had our eyes shut at one point. It was such a happy memory. Just as tears were about to spill I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders and the smell of chocolate float past my nose. Edward settled down next to me placing my steaming mug on the table in front of us.

"She told me to shut my eyes." He commented. "I was originally laying there with my arm around you watching you sleep and playing with your hair, but she told me if I shut my eyes and looked like I was sleeping the picture would be more dramatic."

"I did take a picture of him playing with your hair, though," Alice interjected, "it's behind that one. I didn't know which one you would like better so I put both in there."

I slipped my hand under the photo and pulled out the one beneath it. It too was black and white. We were in the same position on the chaise, except Edward's eyes weren't closed. He was staring at me watching me sleep in his arms, one hand playing with my hair. The look on his face was calm, and full of passion. Now the tears really spilled. I looked at both of them and smiles spread across they're faces. No one had ever given me something so precious before.

Except one person.

Edward had given me his heart, and I had given him mine in return.

"Thank you, Alice." was all I could say.

She hugged me tightly and told me I was more than welcome. I was a part of the family and deserved it. She then rose from the couch and collected more gifts from under the tree to pass around. I reached for the mug on the table in front of me, Edward taking the album from my hands and beginning to flip through it himself. I saw him smile as he recognized some pictures and laughed out loud at others. I looked over to see one, recognizing a photo of him, Emmett, and Jasper attempting to play football during a thunderstorm. Baseball had been a no go since both Rosalie and Alice had refused to play after all three of their brothers came back splattered in mud. I would have been more than happy to join in, but being human and all would have made the game um... Slow.

I sipped my cocoa carefully and still managed to burn my tongue. Alice dropped another gift into my lap and one into Edward's as well. We unwrapped them together. Mine was from Carlisle and Esme and was a beautiful journal. It was bound in cream colored lace that had a pattern of roses on it. A matching ribbon bookmark attached to the journal was placed right in the middle. I knew exactly what I would use this for. To record all my thoughts so Edward would know exactly what I was thinking. He would be able to look at it whenever he wanted and I wouldn't object. Glancing over at Esme and Carlisle, their expressions told me that that was exactly the reason they had given it to me.

Edward's gift was from me. I had wanted to give it to him privately but he had insisted it be put under the tree. Alice must have dug for it because I know I had buried it in the pile of gifts last night that she said were going under the tree. I watched as Edward opened the case his gift was in. Inside was a music box carved from rich mahogany a pattern of silver swirls decorated the top. He lifted the lid and "Claire de Lune" began to play. I saw a small smile form on his lips, and I knew it wasn't from the music. It was from the engraving on the inside of the lid. I had requested a small, silver, oval plaque be attached to the underside of the lid and on it engraved in script, "To the one who not only holds my heart but keeps it safe, Love forever, Bella"

I had looked away for a moment to turn through the blank creamy pages of my new journal imagining the things I would write for Edward when I felt him take my face in his hands and kiss me. The journal fell from my hands landing on the carpet with a soft thud. I didn't notice. After a minute Edward let me go.

"Thank you." He breathed. "I promise to keep it safe." And I knew he wasn't referring to the music box.

After opening gifts for about an hour, I was starving. Alice, Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett all went outside to start a snowball fight – that would undoubtedly turn into a full blown war within the first five minutes if not sooner – with the fresh fall of snow that had come down during the night. Carlisle and Esme stayed in to clean the front room, but said they would watch through the back door. Esme threatened Jasper and Emmett, especially Emmett, that if any snowballs broke any windows they would get to spend the day tomorrow with Alice and Rosalie while they shopped, and that they would have to carry the bags. Both of them looked so horrified they swore up and down immediately that no such thing would happen.

I laughed to myself as Edward led me into the kitchen where the sweet smell of Esme's sugarplum overwhelmed me. He assured me she would not be offended if I didn't have any. I wasn't a huge fan, but the smell had always made me think twice. I offered to take it home to Charlie who _I_ knew would eat it without thinking twice. Edward had it wrapped in a moment so it would be ready when I left later today. He then set about making me some breakfast.

I sat down at the table letting my face fall into my hands. I saw Edward glance over his shoulder at me. "You ok?" he asked. He turned back to his task for a moment. I could hear cereal being poured into a bowl.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lied. Honestly I wasn't. I was stunned. I hadn't expected his family to be so kind to me. And not just today, but since I'd first met them. I'd had so many other assumptions built up in my mind then, it was still hard to realize that his family truly accepted me. Me, a human, merely because I loved Edward with everything that I had, and because I made him happy.

"Tell me the truth." Edward placed the bowl of cereal down in front of me and poured milk over it. I picked up the spoon and took a small bite.

"I guess I still haven't gotten used to everyone, especially Alice, just… Being so kind. And loving me… Like family."

"Well," Edward began as he rose from the table and was back in an instant with a glass of orange juice for me. I muttered a thank you and sipped it then looked at him to continue.

I took another bite of my cereal.

"You're my life, Bella. My mate. From the moment Alice saw you coming, Esme and Carlisle accepted you, even though at the time they didn't know you would be a human." He paused and let out a breath. "They don't care that you're human. You make me so unbelievably happy. They see that and know you're responsible for it. How could they not love you?" He cupped the side of my face and leaned in to kiss me. "Emmett thinks you're a lost cause when it comes to… Well, just about everything." Edward chuckled and I had to laugh too. "Alice… Well, Alice is just happy to have someone to talk 'girl' with. Rosalie loves to go shopping as much as Alice does, but Rose isn't much conversation past, 'how do I look?'."

I sipped more of my orange juice. "Jasper likes you," Edward continued, "he's still just a little uncomfortable around you, which is why I don't let you play any sports with us. But I'm sure with time it will fade and he won't feel so tense around you."

"What about Rosalie?"

"Rosalie just doesn't like the fact that you're human. She still hasn't gotten over that. Again, time."

I finished the last couple spoonfuls of my cereal and downed the rest of my orange juice. Edward cleared the table in a moment was right back beside me. He took my hand and rolled it over so my palm was facing up. He traced the lines on my palm for a long minute and then pressed his hand down over mine. I felt the cool hardness of it as he squeezed my hand. I didn't remember his skin feeling quite so… Metallic. It had always been more like marble.

When Edward let go of my hand I looked down to see a ball of silver in my palm. I picked it up and stared at it. It was a silver bracelet. The band was wide and looked like chain mail. On top of it was a pendant with Edward's family crest engraved into it, inlaid within the band. I turned it over to read the inscription on the bottom of it. There was an engraved heart and inside the heart were the letters E and B intertwined. Beneath the heart it said, 'You'll forever have my heart, Edward'.

Edward reached over and took the bracelet from my hand, unclasped it, and turned my hand so that my wrist faced up. He secured the bracelet around it and smiled at me.

"It's beautiful, Edward." I breathed.

"Not as beautiful as you."

I bowed my head and blushed fiercely. I felt Edward tuck a finger under my chin and lift my face. He pulled me toward him and our mouths met in a gentle kiss.

This had been the first Christmas I could remember where I felt truly… happy, and at peace. All my life all the Christmases I'd had, from the hectic last minute preparations my mom never failed to do when company was walking in the door, to the one Christmas I had spent with my father, all were diminished by this one simply because I had something this year that I'd never had before.

Edward Cullen.

**A/N: This was originally as a one-shot and will remain a one-shot. Thanks so much for reading! I hope to post on Polyvore some of Alice's decorating. I will make note on my profile if I do post anything. **


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